ELECTORAL REFORMS: IN INDIA
INTRODUCTION
“The health of a democracy depends on the choice of representatives and leaders, which in turn is directly linked to the way political parties function and elections are conducted”.
The government of India is quasi-judicial; theofficials are elected at the federal, state and local levels. The head of the Government, Prime Minister is indirectly elected by the people of the country, through the General Election where the leader of the party winning in majority is selected to be the Prime Minister. All members of the federal legislature, the Parliament, are directly elected. Elections in India take place every five years by universal adult suffrage .
India is the largest democracy in the World.
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Regarding this issue the Election Commission has proposed many reforms, and submitted to the Government in hope to help implement them. Some of them have been implemented but still the aim has not been achieved. Still there is a great requirement of Election Laws in Country like India.
Consultations on Electoral reforms
India has the largest Democracy in the world. However, there is a need to strengthen this democracy which can happen only with some reforms in our electoral system. There has been an urgent need for electoral reforms and demand for this need has been made by many government committees and civil society organizations. Hence, the initiative taken up by the Ministry of Law and Justice along with the Election Commission of India is appreciated and it surely is a step forward to accomplish this endeavor .
Discussion on Various Reports
There has been a growing concern over the years in India about several aspects of our electoral system. The Election Commission has made changes in several areas to respond to some of the concerns. There have also been a number of committees which have examined the major issues pertaining to our electoral system and made a number of recommendations. But there remain some critical issues that might need legislative action to bring about the required changes.
• The Second Administrative Reforms Commission (2008)
• Election Commission of India –
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“…that our governments are too unstable, that the public good is disregarded in the conflicts of rival parties, and that measures are too often decided, not according to the rules of justice and the rights of the minor party, but by the superior force of an interested and overbearing majority.”
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